On Jan 9, 2013, at 12:34 PM, Saku Ytti <saku@ytti.fi> wrote:
Having RS232 or USB console on forwarding-plane is not OOB. And even OOB version of these is of limited value, you can't send images over them, you can't multiplex over them and RS232 OOB 'server' costs more than switch. So you get less and you pay more. HW + SW wise it's extremely simple contraption, all the code and HW needed is proven.
I am very much against USB consoles. there can be a whole plethora of issues involved from OS-level to the device-level. When I'm on the console, things have already gone bad. I don't need to find out if the vendor has the right 'entitlement' established for me to download and load the driver or anything else.. It *needs* to work, I can't wait for the device on the other end to negotiate with the host system, etc.. I understand why people want it, but USB as it exists today isn't the way. (I can screw down a rs232 connector and it can be secure, I can't attach USB with the same certainty). - Jared